News for Thursday, February 15, 2007
• North, South Korea Agree to Resume High-Level Talks North and South Korea have agreed to resume ministerial-level talks that were suspended seven months ago after North Korea conducted missile tests.
• Iraqi, US forces Step Up Baghdad Security Crackdown Iraqi and U.S. forces have stepped up joint patrols in Baghdad as part of a new security crackdown to stem sectarian and insurgent violence in the city.
• Central Bank's Bernanke Upbeat about US Economy Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke told a Senate committee Wednesday that, while U.S. economic growth is moderating, inflationary pressures have receded. VOA's Barry Wood reports the central banker's remarks triggered strong advance on Wall Street.
• 29 on Trial for 2004 Madrid Train Bombing The trial has begun on the outskirts of Madrid for 29 defendants charged with involvement in the city's deadly train bombings in 2004, Spain's worst terrorist attack.
• Abbas Postpones Unity Government Speech to Palestinians Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed Thursday's scheduled speech about a new unity government his Fatah faction is to form with rival Hamas.
• Indonesia Urges Burma to Speed Democratization Burma's foreign minister has told Indonesian officials that his country hopes to finish drafting a new constitution by the end of the year. The comments came as the two countries sign new agreements to expand cooperation. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.
• United Nations Increases Humanitarian Aid to Flood-Stricken Bolivia The United Nations says it is stepping up aid to Bolivia to assist the victims of recent floods and landslides.
• US Men's Soccer Team to Play Argentina at Copa America The U.S. men's national soccer team will kick off its run in the Copa America tournament in Venezuela on June 28. VOA's Jim Stevenson has more on the U.S. team that is competing in the biennial event for the first time since 1995.
• Hidden Homosexuality in Senegal Presents Challenge to HIV Prevention Across Africa, HIV infection is significantly higher in some groups. In Senegal, homosexual men are 10 times more likely to be HIV positive than the rest of the population. Phuong Tran reports from Dakar on the challenges of preventing HIV in a mostly hidden community.
• Egypt Arrests 70 Brotherhood Members Egyptian authorities say security forces have arrested more than 70 members of the Muslim Brotherhood in a series of raids, as the government intensifies its crackdown against the group.
• Chirac Calls for Sudan to Accept Peacekeepers in Darfur French President Jacques Chirac has opened a French-African summit with a call for Sudan to accept an international peacekeeping force in war-torn western Darfur region.
• Russia Criticizes Estonia's Decision to Remove Soviet Soldier Statue Russians have been quick to criticize Thursday's vote in Estonia's parliament approving the removal of a controversial Soviet war statue from the center of the capital, Tallinn. Lisa McAdams report from Moscow.
• Indonesia Demands Vaccine Rules Before it Shares Bird Flu Samples Indonesia says it will only share bird flu samples with the World Health Organization if the U.N. body asks its permission before providing the samples to commercial vaccine makers.
• Top Russian General says Moscow May Quit Arms Reduction Treaty Russian news agencies quote a top Russian general who says Moscow may unilaterally quit a key Soviet-era arms reduction treaty with the United States.
• Turkey to Inspect Jerusalem Holy Site Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says a Turkish technical team will inspect controversial construction underway near a Jerusalem holy site.
• Hunger May Have Helped Push Along North Korea Nuclear Deal International aid organizations are hoping the recent diplomatic breakthrough over North Korea's nuclear weapons program will pave the way for increased food donations to the impoverished North. Current shortages may also have increased Pyongyang's willingness to make concessions at the nuclear weapons bargaining table, experts say. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Beijing.
• Bush Pledges Support to Counter Taleban Insurgency in Afghanistan No summary available.
• Belarus Raises Transit Fees on Russian Oil Bound for Europe Belarus has raised transit fees on Russian oil headed for Europe by more than 30 percent, following through on a warning issued last week.
• Kenya Drops Charges Against Somali Islamist Financier Kenyan prosecutors have dropped illegal immigration charges against a wealthy Somali businessman accused of financing Somalia's Islamist movement.
• Ethiopians Fleeing Clashes Cross into Kenya A Kenyan newspaper reports hundreds of Ethiopians are crossing the border into Kenya, following clashes between rival communities over water and pasture land for livestock. The Reuters news agency quotes an Ethiopian police official as saying 19 people were killed. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi, most of those arriving in Kenya are women and children.
• UN Security Council Votes to Extend Mission in Haiti The U.N. Security Council has approved an eight-month extension of its peacekeeping force in Haiti.
• NATO Secretary-General Says Alliance Will Not Tolerate Violence in Kosovo NATO's secretary-general warns that the alliance will not tolerate any violence in Kosovo, after clashes between the international police and ethnic Albanians in the province left two dead.
• Prosecutors Ask for Death Penalty for 44 in 1993 Mumbai Bombings Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for suspects convicted in deadly bombings that struck Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, in 1993.
• Starbucks to Double East African Coffee Purchases The U.S. coffee chain Starbucks says it will double its purchases of coffee from East Africa over the next two years.
• Russian President Replaces President of Chechnya Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the president of the southern republic of Chechnya, Alu Alkhanov, and named the region's prime minister as acting president.
• Air Mauritania Hijack Ends in Spain, Suspect Arrested Officials in Spain say security forces have raided a hijacked plane and freed the nearly 80 passengers and crew aboard.
• US Military Leaders Repeat Comments On Possible Iranian Leaders Involvement in Bomb Transfers to Iraq Senior U.S. military officials have repeated they do not know if the highest levels of the Iranian government authorized the transfer of sophisticated weapons to insurgents in Iraq.
• US House Debate on Iraq to Extend Through Friday Debate in the U.S. House of Representatives on President Bush's additional troop deployment for Iraq will extend through a fourth day, to allow all lawmakers in that chamber of Congress a chance to speak. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill:
• Iraqi Officials say al-Qaida Leader in Iraq Wounded in Clash Iraq's Interior Ministry says troops have wounded the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
• US Lawmakers Hear Assessments on Afghanistan As President Bush ordered additional troops for Afghanistan, and appealed to Congress to approve billions of dollars for the war against the Taleban and insurgents, U.S. lawmakers heard pessimistic assessments from experts. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.
• Putin Replaces Russian Defense Minister, Chechen President Russian President Vladimir Putin has promoted Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov to the job of First Deputy Prime Minister, putting him on an equal level with Dmitri Medvedev.
• Liberian Officials Say They Are Pleased By Progress on International Debt Relief No summary available.
• Researchers Develop Experimental Therapy for Mad Cow Disease Mad cow disease, which can infect humans, is caused by an infectious protein. Until recently, there has been no treatment for mad cow and other so-called prion diseases, which lead to rapid dementia and death. Now, researchers have apparently cured the disease in newly infected mice. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
• Study: More Maternal Fish Consumption Benefits Baby A new study finds that a U.S. government warning for pregnant women to limit fish consumption to avoid toxic levels of mercury is questionable advice. As we hear from VOA's David McAlary, the research shows that the government's maximum recommended weekly amount is insufficient for their babies' brain development.
• Scientists Ponder Impact of Lakes Found Below Ice in Antarctica Satellite measurements of the icy surface of Antarctica have detected an active system of lakes under ice that is about one kilometer deep. As we hear from VOA's Art Chimes, scientists are still uncertain about the role that the underground water plays in the movement of the so-called ice streams that may contribute to a rise in sea level.